The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "inspection records" ...
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CAR stories for every newsroom
Off suggests data and stories that can be used in every newsroom to cover stories on such topics as: school call to police; dam inspections; group homes; property records and many more.
Tags: CAR; computer-assisted reporting; quick hits;
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Paper and Databse Trails
Hall discusses the information that an investigative reporter can gather from various data sources including documents and databases. The tipsheet provides a list of documents/records and what sort of information you can anticipate finding with each given example
Tags: documents; FOI; databases; audits; payroll documents; police reports; correspondence; reports; annual budgets; overtime; purchasing records; contracts; campaign finance reports; test scores; tax-exempt organizations; inspection reports
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Investigating Property Scams
First, this tipsheet explains some of the most important documents for any investigation involving property taxes. It includes tax filings, mortgage records, financial disclosure forms, liens, and corporate records. Next, the tipsheet suggests some things to look for in the data that usually signal something fishy. Finally, it offers a list of helpful websites for backgrounding those sorts of investigations.
Tags: property; real estate; mortgage; property tax; deeds; inspections
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Where to dig for great stories on hospitals, doctors and patients
Those covering a health issue will find this tipsheet helpful for identifying documents to obtain and what to look for on those documents. Steele and Heisel suggest backgrounding doctors and the hospital itself to make sure they are meeting their clams in patient care.
Tags: doctor; patient; hospital; health; clinic; inspection; record; disciplinary
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Lesser-known records you should know about
Stanley takes a look at how to find some types of records that you may not know about. He has tips on how to find information about nonprofit organizations through GuideStar. State government audits are also available online, which can uncover great story ideas. There's also a complete list of childcare facilities and recent inspections online. Stanley also suggests ways to find divorce files, professional licenses, closed malpractice claims, and how to conduct the perfect Google search.
Tags: nonprofits; government; childcare; divorce files; professional licenses; closed malpractice claims; Google
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Six Key Records for the Local Government Beat
From payroll to city property, Mansur lists six records every reporter covering the local government beat should obtain.
Tags: local government; beat reporting; public records; city officials; personnel and payroll records; budget; finance; early-retirement programs; cell phone records; property; inspection records; investigative reporting
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Deaths, Dying, and Full Disclosure
"State laws can be designed to thwart inquires about suspicious deaths in vulnerable populations," this tipsheet begins. "Hints that something is amiss in your state can be found on paperwork as seemingly routine as a police accident report." Bennish lists a number of events surrounding a death or injury that journalists should look out for, and other factors that send up a flare regarding a possible story. This tipsheet provides a list of resources on where to find records on suspicious deaths, including "funeral homes, nursing homes inspection reports, death certificates, computerized state vital statistics compilations of deaths, state compilations of addresses of institutions and homes, medical examiners, coroners reporters and autopsies, police and news reports."
Tags: nursing homes; deaths; suspicious deaths; accidents; fatalities; wrongful death; assisted living; major unusual incident reports; aging; mental retardation; mental illness
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Yes, You CAN Get These in Connecticut
Reitz lists key documents that are public information and can provide journalists with useful details and facts.
Tags: cell phones; motor vehicles; dog licenses; city employees salaries; records of delinquencies; municipal and education budgets; health inspections; police dispatch and incident stats; FOI
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Federal Staffing
David Burnham of Syracuse University provides printouts of TRAC database search results of federal employee records at the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The first search results set contains three columns: Year, # of Federal Employee Records and Employees per Million Pop. The second set of search results, specific to the occupation of Border Patrol Agent and year 2000, contains these columns: State, # of Federal Employees and Employees per Million Pop. The third set of search results contains the same information for the Immigration Inspection occupation and the fourth set of search results is for the Criminal Investigating Occupation. The final page of this tipsheet is a list of those holding the Criminal Investigating occupation in the year 2000 for the state of Arkansas, including names, pay plan and salary. TRAC is a subscription-based service.
Tags: security; immigrants; INS; federal agencies
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How to do a project on slumlords
Hickey gives step-by-step instuctions for investigating slumlords, from talking with building and safety code inspectors, to pulling all the documents - inspection reports, assessment records, property transfer records, etc.
Tags: None